Can I Sue Someone for a Bad Online Review in Ontario?

For a small business, a harsh online review can feel like a direct financial attack — and sometimes it genuinely causes real harm. But whether it's something you can actually sue over depends on a distinction that's easy to get wrong.

Why this feels different from other disputes

Most disputes on this site involve a clear transaction gone wrong — an unpaid invoice, a defective repair. A bad review is different: the "harm" is reputational, and the review itself might be entirely within the reviewer's rights to post, even if it's harsh, unfair, or exaggerated.

The key distinction: opinion versus a false statement of fact

Generally, someone is entitled to share a genuine, honestly held opinion about their experience with a business, even a very negative one. The situation is different if a review states something as fact that is actually false and damaging — for example, claiming a specific event happened that demonstrably didn't. This distinction between opinion and a false factual claim is often the crux of whether a review crosses a legal line.

Defamation, in general terms

A false statement of fact that damages someone's reputation can potentially fall under defamation law — a distinct and genuinely complex area of law with its own specific requirements. This site doesn't cover defamation law in the same depth as Small Claims Court procedure, precisely because it's a specialized area where the details matter enormously and vary by the specific facts involved.

Does this fit Small Claims Court at all?

A defamation-related claim can potentially fit within Small Claims Court if the amount you're seeking fits the monetary limit — see how much can I sue for? That said, defamation claims often involve more legal complexity than a typical Small Claims Court dispute, which is worth factoring into your decision about how to proceed.

Proving actual, measurable harm

Whatever the legal basis, you'll generally need to show an actual, measurable loss connected to the review — not just that it existed or that it upset you. Documented evidence of lost business directly traceable to the review strengthens a claim far more than the review's harsh tone alone.

Reporting to the platform as a realistic first step

Before considering legal action, many platforms have their own process for reporting reviews that violate their content policies — a fake review, for example, or one that contains clearly false factual claims. This is often faster and less costly than pursuing a legal claim, and worth trying first regardless of whether you also consider other options.

Why this category calls for professional advice

Given the genuine legal complexity of defamation specifically, and how much turns on the exact wording of the review and the specific facts involved, this is a category where getting a professional opinion early is particularly worthwhile — more so than for most other disputes covered on this site.

Frequently asked questions